Just about everyone expected 2011 to be FC Barcelona Regal's year to repeat as champion in front of its hometown fans. Those expectations were not unusual, especially considering how dominant Barcelona had been the previous season and for most of this one. However, It took a historic Euroleague team, Panathinaikos, to prevent any hope of that happening by eliminating Barcelona in the playoffs.

In the end, we were treated to another classic finals matchup between Maccabi Electra and Panathinaikos – the two most successful Euroleague team since the turn of the century. Maccabi played an exciting brand of basketball under Coach David Blatt that season. I cannot recall any team that was so focused and capable of blowing their opponents out and not letting up at all in the manner that the Israeli champs did that season. They fought and battled for every single possession.

Maccabi pressured and aggressively trapped the ball all over the court with electrifying guards Jeremy Pargo and Doron Perkins leading the way. It was an entertaining team to watch as it played uptempo and had the powerful All-Euroleague center Sofoklis Schortsanitis under the basket playing the best ball of his career. Chuck Eidson was the glue that held everything together as he really did do...

It was a privilege to be able to sit courtside and broadcast the 2010 Final Four games for ELTV. Sitting so close to the court enabled us to fully appreciate the impressive speed, strength and athleticism of these players. All four games were incredible, so much so that Partizan and its fans really left a lasting impression on all of us, even though they finished in fourth place. Partizan came in as the underdog and lost two heartbreaking games in overtime. It was Bo McCalebb's first time on the big stage and there were times that he absolutely dominated the action by finishing incredible drives to the basket through traffic as well as scoring from long range. Jan Vesely was also spectacular for Partizan. CSKA, which was appearing in its record eighth straight Final Four, challenged Barca early before losing in the fourth quarter of the other semifinal.

The title game was a very interesting matchup between FC Regal Barcelona and Olympiacos. Barcelona finally faced a team that was not afraid to play an uptempo game. Most teams that season attempted to slow the pace of the game because Barcelona was simply too good in the open court. Olympiacos had little to fear since it was loaded with talent. Linas Klieza, who was that season’s Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy winner, and Josh...

The only European player ever to win both the Euroleague and NCAA titles, Jiri "George" Zidek has been a collaborator with Euroleague.net and Euroleague.TV since the 2006 Final Four was held in his native Czech Republic. Big George, who won the Euroleague with Zalgiris Kaunas in 1999, continues as a color analyst of Euroleague games for Czech TV, not to mention for Euroleague.TV, where he has worked the last three Final Fours. As George returns for the 2011-12 Turkish Airlines Euroleague season, expect more great insights from an ex-champ's point of view!

The last four teams standing and the last four games of the season - that’s what lies ahead of us this weekend in Istanbul in the special settings of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four at the beautiful Sinan Erden Arena. I would not say there is one heavy favorite when teams of highest quality, tradition and experience clash with only 40 minutes to decide their fates. As you well know, the Final Four format doesn’t give you any second chances; there is no room to save anything for tomorrow. With the season on the line, detailed preparation, strategy and past experience come into light more than ever. Players and fans alike must steady their nerves and peak in form to survive the thrills, pressure and emotional highs and lows that only the Final Four can deliver. It goes without saying that there will be only one winner at the end of the day with the remaining three teams waiting for another chance next season. It has been a privilege to follow the Euroleague up close all season long and to witness four special teams on their way to the grand finale. I wish all the participants the...

I have great memories from the 2009 Final Four in Berlin. I was fortunate to be able to work alongside Frank Lawlor and George Zidek to provide coverage and analysis for Euroleague TV in the newly constructed o2 World. I also had the chance to get to experience Berlin and discover how it has transformed into such a vibrant, modern and beautiful city.

CSKA and Panathinaikos had to fight for their lives to win in the semifinals. Panathinaikos beat Olympiacos by 2 points, and CSKA needed Siskauskas to score 18 fourth-quarter points to beat Barcelona by 4. The final was a rematch of the exciting Athens 2007 championship game that Panathinaikos won 93-91. Even though this one was not as high scoring, we could not have asked for a more thrilling, entertaining final – one that was not decided until the very last second. This was one of the most exciting finishes to a championship game that I have ever seen.

Panathinaikos actually dominated the game from the start and went up by 20 points at halftime. Few could have possibly expected the comeback that CSKA mounted. But how could one doubt the resolve and character of the defending European champs! CSKA came out to start the second half by getting back to its identity, which had enabled the team to enjoy so much success:...